Driver re-engagement system

ABSTRACT

In a network of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles, an alert may be triggered when one of the vehicles switches from autonomous to manual mode. The alert may be communicated to nearby autonomous vehicles so that drivers of those vehicles may become aware of a potentially unpredictable manual driver nearby. Drivers of autonomous vehicles who may have become disengaged (e.g., sleeping, reading, talking, etc.) during autonomous driving may become re-engaged upon noticing the alert. A re-engaged driver may choose to switch his/her own vehicle from autonomous to manual mode in order to appropriately react to an unpredictable nearby manual driver. In additional or alternative embodiments, the alert may be triggered or intensified when indications of impairment of a nearby driver or malfunction of a nearby vehicle are detected.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 15/605,554, filed May 25, 2017, entitled “DRIVER RE-ENGAGEMENTSYSTEM,” the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference inits entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to technology for re-engaging adisengaged operator of a vehicle having one or more autonomous features.

BACKGROUND

Individuals have been operating vehicles as a means of transportationfor decades. Recently, more and more vehicles have incorporatedautonomous or semi-autonomous features, allowing a vehicle to operatewith little to no input from an operator or passenger of the vehicle.When a vehicle is in an autonomous or semi-autonomous mode, an operatoror passenger may be free to carry on with other activities unrelated tothe operation of the vehicle. For instance, an operator or passenger mayaccomplish other tasks during the operation of the vehicle, such asworking, reading, or talking on the phone. Vehicle operators orpassengers may even, for example, sleep, watch a movie, or play a gameas the vehicle operates autonomously. However, in some instances, manualoperation may be more appropriate even for a vehicle with sophisticatedautonomous or semi-autonomous features.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, a computer-implemented method for re-engaging adisengaged operator of a vehicle having one or more autonomous featuresis provided. The method may include receiving, at a processor within afirst vehicle operating in an autonomous or semi-autonomous mode, anindication that a nearby second vehicle is operating in a manual mode.The first vehicle and the second vehicle may be part of a vehiclenetwork in which signals may be transmitted and received betweenvehicles. The method may further include triggering, by the processor,an alert to an operator or passenger of the first vehicle indicatingthat the second vehicle has switched operational modes, and switching,by the processor, the first vehicle from operating in the autonomous orsemi-autonomous mode to operating in a manual mode in response to aselection by the operator or passenger of the first vehicle to switchoperational modes.

In another aspect, an electronic device for re-engaging a disengagedoperator of a vehicle having one or more autonomous features isprovided. The electronic device may include a transceiver configured tocommunicate data via at least one network connection, a memoryconfigured to store non-transitory computer executable instructions, anda processor configured to interface with the transceiver and the memory,and configured to execute the non-transitory computer executableinstructions. The non-transitory computer executable instructions maycause the processor to receive, at a first vehicle in an autonomous orsemi-autonomous mode, an indication that a nearby second vehicle isoperating in a manual mode. The first vehicle and the second vehicle maybe part of a vehicle network in which signals may be transmitted andreceived between vehicles. The instructions may further cause theprocessor to trigger an alert to an operator or passenger of the firstvehicle indicating that the second vehicle has switched operationalmodes and switch the first vehicle from operating in the autonomous orsemi-autonomous mode to operating in a manual mode in response to aselection by the operator or passenger of the first vehicle to switchmodes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary system for autonomousvehicle operation, in which systems and methods for re-engaging adisengaged operator of a vehicle having one or more autonomous featuresmay be implemented.

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary computer or mobiledevice associated with a vehicle and in communication with anotherexemplary mobile device or on-board computer associated with anothernearby vehicle, in which systems and methods for re-engaging adisengaged operator of a vehicle having one or more autonomous featuresmay be implemented.

FIG. 3 illustrates a flow diagram of an exemplary method for re-engaginga disengaged operator of a vehicle having one or more autonomousfeatures; and

FIG. 4 illustrates a signal diagram associated with exemplary technologyfor re-engaging a disengaged operator of a vehicle having one or moreautonomous features.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present embodiments may relate to, inter alia, technology forre-engaging a disengaged operator of a vehicle having one or moreautonomous features. Within a network of vehicles configured tocommunicate with one another, a vehicle operating in an autonomous orsemi-autonomous mode may receive an indication that another nearbyvehicle is operating in a manual operational mode. For an operatorand/or passenger of a vehicle operating in the autonomous orsemi-autonomous mode, the manual operation of a nearby vehicle may be asafety issue due to the relative unpredictability of manual vehicleoperation compared with autonomous vehicle operation.

In response to the indication, an alert may be triggered to indicate tothe operator or passenger of the vehicle that a nearby vehicle isoperating in a manual mode. The alert may be configured to, forinstance, wake a sleeping operator or passenger, or otherwise re-engagethe operator or passenger from a disengaged, distracted, or inattentivestate. In particular, an operator or passenger may be presented with anoption and/or recommendation to switch the vehicle from an autonomousmode to a manual mode. By switching the vehicle to manual mode, theoperator or passenger may be capable of more safely operating thevehicle in unpredictable situations, such as, for instance, reacting tothe nearby vehicle operating in the manual mode.

The systems and methods therefore offer numerous benefits. Inparticular, the systems and methods effectively and efficiently triggeran alert to re-engage a vehicle operator who may have become distractedor otherwise disengaged during the autonomous or semi-autonomousoperation of a vehicle. In this way, the safety of the operation of thevehicle may be improved. That is, upon noticing the alert, the vehicleoperator may determine that switching the vehicle to a manual mode maybe necessary to safely and appropriately react to a nearby vehicleoperating in a manual mode. In embodiments, alerts may be triggered inreal time, as soon as an indication of a nearby vehicle operating inmanual mode has been received, allowing a disengaged vehicle operator tobecome re-engaged quickly, and reducing the time in which the vehicleoperator may be too distracted or otherwise inattentive to vehicleoperating conditions to switch to a manual mode. It should beappreciated that other benefits are envisioned.

Moreover, the systems and methods discussed herein address a challengethat is particular to autonomous vehicle operation. In particular, thechallenge relates to re-engaging a disengaged operator or passenger ofan autonomous vehicle in situations when unpredictable conditions maynecessitate a switch to a manual operational mode (e.g., to improve thesafety of the vehicle). That is, in some instances, such as when nearbyvehicles are operating in a manual mode, a human vehicle operator may bemore capable of appropriately reacting to unpredictable conditions thanan autonomous vehicle operation system. For example, a nearby vehicle ina manual mode may be more likely operate erratically (e.g., due to animpaired operator), or otherwise be malfunctioning (e.g., operating inthe manual mode due to a malfunction of the autonomous mode). As anotherexample, a nearby vehicle operating in a manual mode may additionallyindicate other conditions (e.g., traffic conditions, weather conditions,road conditions, etc.) which may have caused the operator of the nearbyvehicle to switch to a manual operational mode.

Using conventional methods, such conditions might go unnoticed byoperators or passengers of a vehicle operating in an autonomous mode,due to distraction or disengagement. That is, when a vehicle is in anautonomous or semi-autonomous mode, an operator or passenger may be freeto carry on with other activities unrelated to the operation of thevehicle, and may subsequently be unaware of any conditions that mayarise. The systems and methods provided herein offer improvedcapabilities to solve these problems by dynamically triggering an alertfor the operator or passenger based on an indication that a nearbyvehicle is operating in a manual mode. Accordingly, a disengaged vehicleoperator or passenger may notice the alert, which may persist untildismissal or other reaction by the operator or passenger. Furthermore,the alert may further indicate an option and/or recommendation for thevehicle operator or passenger to switch to a manual mode. Because thesystems and methods employ the collection, analysis, and transmission ofdata associated with autonomous vehicles, the systems and methods arenecessarily rooted in computer technology in order to overcome the notedshortcomings that specifically arise in the realm of autonomous vehicleoperation.

Similarly, the systems and methods provide improvements in a technicalfield, namely, autonomous vehicle operation. Instead of the systems andmethods merely being performed by hardware components using basicfunctions, the systems and methods employ complex steps that go beyondthe mere concept of simply retrieving and combining data using acomputer. In particular, the hardware components control the operationof the vehicle, and trigger alerts to re-engage a disengaged vehicleoperator or passenger when safety conditions (e.g., a nearby manualoperator) indicate that a switch to a manual operational mode may enablesafer operation of the vehicle, among other functionalities.

According to implementations, the systems and methods may support adynamic, real-time or near-real-time analysis of any captured, received,and/or detected data. In particular, an electronic device in a vehiclemay receive an indication that a nearby vehicle is operating in a manualmode in real-time or near real-time, and may automatically anddynamically trigger an alert to the operator or passenger of thevehicle. In this regard, any operator or passenger who receives an alertis afforded the benefit of accurate and relevant data, and may, forinstance, quickly take steps to react to a safety condition (e.g., anearby manual operator) indicated by the alert.

FIG. 1 depicts a block diagram of an exemplary system 100 for autonomousvehicle operation, in which systems and methods for re-engaging adisengaged operator of a vehicle having one or more autonomous featuresmay be implemented. The high-level architecture illustrated in FIG. 1may include both hardware and software applications, as well as variousdata communications channels for communicating data between the varioushardware and software components, as is described below. The system 100may be roughly divided into front-end components 102 and back-endcomponents 104.

The front-end components 102 may obtain information regarding a vehicle106 (e.g., a car, truck, motorcycle, etc.), the surrounding environment,and other nearby vehicles 108, 110, and may communicate with theback-end components 104 via a network 112. The front-end components 102may include a computer 114 and/or mobile device 116 associated with thevehicle 106, which on-board computer 114 and/or mobile device 116 mayutilize the obtained information to autonomously or semi-autonomouslyoperate the vehicle 106. While the vehicle 106 is operating in anautonomous or semi-autonomous operational mode, the on-board computer114 and/or mobile device 116 may, in certain conditions, trigger analert to re-engage a disengaged operator or passenger of the vehicle106. For instance, the on-board computer 114 and/or mobile device 116may receive an indication that a nearby vehicle such as vehicle 108 orvehicle 110 is operating in a manual mode, operating erratically, and/ormalfunctioning. In such conditions, re-engagement of an operator orpassenger of the vehicle 106 may be appropriate. In embodiments, theon-board computer 114 and/or mobile device 116 may further provide arecommendation or option for an operator or passenger of the vehicle 106to switch the operational mode of the vehicle 106 to a manual mode insuch conditions.

The front-end components 102 may further include one or more sensors 118associated with the vehicle 106 that may communicate sensor data to theon-board computer 114 and/or the mobile device 116. Additionally, thefront-end components 102 may include a communication component 120associated with the vehicle 106 and configured to interface with theon-board computer 114 and/or the mobile device 116 to transmit andreceive information from external sources, such as back-end components104 and/or other vehicles 108, 110. The front-end components 102 mayfurther include an internal audio component 122 and/or an internaldisplay component 124 disposed within the vehicle 106 that may beconfigured to respectively sound or display various alerts generated bythe on-board computer 114 and/or the mobile device 116 for re-engaging adisengaged operator or passenger of the vehicle 106. Additionally, thefront-end components may include a user-input device (not shown)disposed within the vehicle 106 that may be configured to receiveinstructions or information from the vehicle operator. Of course,additional or alternative front-end components 102 for performingsimilar or different functions may be included in various embodiments.Moreover, any combination of the on-board computer 114, internal audiocomponent 122, internal display component 124, and/or user-input devicemay be incorporated into a single device in various configurations.

Additionally, the other nearby vehicles 108, 110 may include front-endcomponents (not shown) similar or analogous to any of the front-endcomponents 102 of vehicle 106 discussed herein, and may in someconfigurations include additional or alternative front-end components.For instance, just as the front-end components 102 of vehicle 106 mayinclude a computer 114 and/or mobile device 116, the front-endcomponents of vehicle 108 may include a mobile device and/or on-boardcomputer 126, and the front-end components of vehicle 110 may include amobile device and/or on-board computer 128 as well. While only onemobile device and/or on-board computer 126, 128 is shown associated witheach other nearby vehicle 108, 110, in embodiments, one or more ofvehicles 108, 110 may include, for instance, both a mobile device and anon-board computer (just as vehicle 106 may include both an on-boardcomputer 114 and a mobile device 116), or multiple mobile devices and/oron-board computers 126, 128. Similarly, just as the front-end components102 of vehicle 106 may include one or more sensors 118, the front-endcomponents of vehicle 108 may include one or more sensors 130 and thefront-end components of vehicle 110 may include one or more sensors 132.Additionally, while one or more of vehicles 108, 110 may includeautonomous or semi-autonomous operational features/modes, in someembodiments one or more of vehicles 108, 110 may be vehicles withoutautonomous or semi-autonomous operational features/modes (e.g., capableof operating only in a manual mode). Of course, vehicles withoutautonomous or semi-autonomous operational features may still communicatewith vehicles, such as vehicle 106 having autonomous or semi-autonomousoperational features/modes. Furthermore, it should be appreciated thatwhile only two other nearby vehicles 108, 110 are depicted in FIG. 1,various embodiments may include any number of other nearby vehicles 108,110, with any number of front-end and/or back-end components.

In embodiments, the front-end components 102 of vehicle 106 maycommunicate information to the back-end components 104, e.g., via thenetwork 112. For example, at least one of the on-board computer 114 orthe mobile device 116 may communicate with the back-end components 104via the network 112 to allow the back-end components 104 to recordcollected sensor data and/or any other information obtained by thefront-end components regarding the vehicle 106, the surroundingenvironment, and/or other nearby vehicles 108, 110. The network 112 mayinclude a proprietary network, a secure public internet, a virtualprivate network, and/or some other type of network, such as dedicatedaccess lines, plain ordinary telephone lines, satellite links, cellulardata networks, combinations of these and/or other types of networks. Thenetwork 112 may utilize one or more radio frequency communication linksto communicatively connect to the vehicle 106, e.g., utilize wirelesscommunication links to communicatively connect with on-board computer114 and mobile device 116, respectively. Where the network 112 comprisesthe Internet or other data packet network, data communications may takeplace over the network 112 via an Internet or other suitable data packetcommunication protocol. In some arrangements, the network 112 mayadditionally or alternatively include one or more wired communicationlinks or networks.

Generally speaking, the on-board computer 114 may be, for instance, ageneral-use computer capable of performing many functions relating tovehicle operation or a dedicated computer for autonomous vehicleoperation, in various embodiments. Further, the on-board computer 114may be installed by the manufacturer of the vehicle 106 or as anaftermarket modification or addition to the vehicle 106. The mobiledevice 116 may be, for instance, a general-use personal computer,cellular phone, smart phone, tablet computer, smart watch, wearableelectronics, a dedicated vehicle monitoring or control device, or anyother suitable mobile device. Either or both of the on-board computer114 and/or the mobile device 116 may run various applications forcollecting, generating, processing, analyzing, transmitting, receiving,and/or acting upon data associated with the vehicle 106 (e.g., sensordata; location data; operator or passenger data including selections,dismissals, and/or settings by operators or passengers; autonomousoperation feature settings; autonomous operational modes; controldecisions made by the autonomous operation features; etc.), the vehicleenvironment, and/or other nearby vehicles such as vehicles 108 and/or110 (e.g., location data, autonomous operation feature settings,autonomous operational mode, indications of erratic operation, vehiclemalfunction data, etc. associated with other nearby vehicles 108, 110).As discussed above, either or both of the on-board computer 114 and/orthe mobile device 116 may communicate with the network 112 overrespective links. Additionally or alternatively, the on-board computer114 or the mobile device 116 may communicate with one another directlyover a link.

In particular, the on-board computer 114 and/or mobile device 116 maydirectly or indirectly control the operation of the vehicle 106according to various autonomous operation features. The autonomousoperation features may include software applications or modulesimplemented by the on-board computer 114 and/or mobile device 116 togenerate and implement control commands to control the operation of thevehicle 106 (e.g., steering, braking, throttle, etc.). To facilitatesuch control, the on-board computer 114 and/or mobile device 116 may becommunicatively connected to control components of the vehicle 106 byvarious electrical or electromechanical control components (not shown).Control commands may be generated by the on-board computer 114 and/ormobile device 116 and may be communicated to the control components ofthe vehicle 106 to effect a control action. In embodiments involvingfully autonomous vehicles and/or fully autonomous operational modes, thevehicle 106 may be operable only through such control components. Inother embodiments (e.g., involving semi-autonomous vehicles and/orsemi-autonomous operational modes), the control components may bedisposed within or supplement other vehicle operator control components(not shown), such as steering wheels, accelerator or brake pedals, orignition switches controlled by an operator of the vehicle 106.

Although only one on-board computer 114 and only one mobile device 116are depicted in FIG. 1, it should be understood that some embodimentsmay include, for instance, a plurality of on-board computers 114 (whichmay be installed at one or more locations within the vehicle 106) and/ora plurality of mobile devices 116. In embodiments, such a plurality ofon-board computers 114 or mobile devices 116 may perform functionalitiesdescribed herein as being performed by just one on-board computer 114 orjust one mobile device 116. Additionally, in some embodiments the mobiledevice 116 may supplement the functions performed by the on-boardcomputer 114 described herein, or vice versa. In other embodiments, theon-board computer 114 and the mobile device 116 may be integrated into asingle device, or either may perform the functions of both. In someembodiments or under certain conditions, on-board computer 114 or mobiledevice 116 may function as thin-client devices that outsource some ormost of the processing to the back-end components 104.

The on-board computer 114 and/or mobile device 116 disposed at thevehicle 106 may communicatively interface with the one or more on-boardsensors 118. The one or more on-board sensors 118 may detect conditionsassociated with the vehicle 106 and/or associated with the environmentin which the vehicle 106 is operating, and may collect data indicativeof the detected conditions. In particular, data detected by the sensors118 may be communicated to the on-board computer 114 or the mobiledevice 116 for use in operator/passenger re-engagement and/or autonomousvehicle operation. The sensors 118 may include, for instance, one ormore of a GPS unit, a radar unit, a LIDAR unit, an ultrasonic sensor, aninfrared sensor, an inductance sensor, a camera, an accelerometer, atachometer, or a speedometer. Some of the sensors 118 (e.g., radar,LIDAR, or camera units) may actively or passively scan the vehicleenvironment for obstacles (e.g., other vehicles such as vehicle 108 orvehicle 110, buildings, pedestrians, etc.), roadways, lane markings,signs, or signals. Other of the sensors 118 (e.g., GPS, accelerometer,or tachometer units) may provide data for determining the location ormovement of the vehicle 106. Other sensors 118 may be directed to theinterior or passenger compartment of the vehicle 106, such as cameras,microphones, pressure sensors, thermometers, or similar sensors tomonitor the vehicle operator and/or passengers within the vehicle 118.For instance, such interior sensors 118 may be used to detect anindication of a selection or a dismissal (e.g., in response to an alert)by an operator or passenger of the vehicle 106. Of course, otherembodiments may include additional or alternative sensors 118.

In some configurations, at least some of the on-board sensors 118 may beremovably or fixedly disposed at various locations on the vehicle 106.Additionally or alternatively, at least some of the on-board sensors 118may be incorporated within or connected to the on-board computer 114.Still additionally or alternatively, in some configurations, at leastsome of the on-board sensors 118 may be included on or within the mobiledevice 116.

Additionally, the on-board computer 114 and/or mobile device 116disposed at the vehicle 106 may communicatively interface with the oneor more communication components 120. The one or more communicationcomponents 120 may be configured to transmit information to and receiveinformation from the back-end components 104 and/or from other externalsources, such as other vehicles 108, 110 and/or infrastructure orenvironmental components (not shown) disposed within the environment ofthe vehicle 106. The one or more communication components 120 mayinclude one or more wireless transmitters or transceivers operating atany desired or suitable frequency or frequencies. Different wirelesstransmitters or transceivers may operate at different frequencies and/orby using different protocols, if desired.

In an example, the on-board computer 114 may operate in conjunction witha communication component 120 that is disposed at the vehicle 106 forsending or receiving information to and from the server 150 via thenetwork 112, such as over one or more radio frequency links or wirelesscommunication channels which support the first communication protocoland/or a second communication protocol. Additionally or alternatively,the mobile device 116 may include a respective communication component(not shown) for sending or receiving information to and from the servervia the network 112, such as over one or more radio frequency links orwireless communication channels supporting a first communicationprotocol (e.g., GSM, CDMA, LTE, one or more IEEE 802.11 Standards suchas Wi-Fi, WiMAX, BLUETOOTH, etc.). In some embodiments, the on-boardcomputer 114 may operate in conjunction with the mobile device 116 toutilize the communication component of the mobile device 116 to deliverinformation to the back-end components 104. In some embodiments, theon-board computer 114 may operate in conjunction with the mobile device116 to utilize the communication component 120 of the vehicle 106 todeliver information to the back-end components 104. In some embodiments,one or more communication components 120 may be utilized by both theon-board computer 114 and/or the mobile device 116 to communicate withthe back-end components 104. Accordingly, either one or both of theon-board computer 114 or mobile device 116 may communicate with thenetwork 112 over various links. Additionally, in some configurations,the on-board computer 114 and/or mobile device 116 may communicate withone another directly over a wireless or wired link.

Moreover, the on-board computer 114 and/or the mobile device 116 of thevehicle 108 may communicate with respective on-board computers and/ormobile devices 126, 128 disposed at the one or more other vehicles 108,110, either directly or via the network 112. In embodiments, theon-board computer 114 and/or the mobile device 116 disposed at thevehicle 106 may communicate with the on-board computers and/or mobiledevices 128 of vehicle 110 via the network 112 and one or morecommunication components 120 by using one or more suitable wirelesscommunication protocols (e.g., GSM, CDMA, LTE, one or more IEEE 802.11Standards such as Wi-Fi, WiMAX, BLUETOOTH, etc.). As another example,the on-board computer 114 may communicate with a particular othervehicle 108 directly in a peer-to-peer (P2P) manner via one or more ofthe communication components 120 and a direct wireless communicationlink which may utilize, for example, a Wi-Fi direct protocol, aBLUETOOTH or other short range communication protocol, an ad-hoccellular communication protocol, or any other suitable wirelesscommunication protocol. In some embodiments, the on-board computer 114and/or the mobile device 116 may communicate with respective on-boardcomputers and/or mobile devices 126, 128, either directly or via thenetwork 112, without utilizing the communication component 120. In theseembodiments, each of the on-board computer 114, mobile device 116,and/or on-board computers and/or mobile devices 126, 128 may include aset of transceivers or other components configured to support thetransmission and receipt of data.

The on-board computer 114 and/or mobile device 116 may utilizeinformation about other vehicles 108, 110 received by the one or morecommunication components 120 to supplement the data received from thesensors 118 for implementing driver re-engagement and/or autonomousoperation features. For instance, the communication component 120 mayreceive an indication that another nearby vehicle (e.g., vehicle 108and/or vehicle 110) has switched modes from autonomous to manual mode,based on which indication an alert may be triggered by an application ofthe on-board computer 114 and/or mobile device 116 for re-engagement ofan operator or passenger of the vehicle 106. Similarly, thecommunication component 120 may receive an indication that anothernearby vehicle such as vehicle 108 and/or vehicle 110 may be operatingerratically and/or malfunctioning, based on which indication an elevatedalert may be triggered by an application of the on-board computer 114and/or mobile device 116 for re-engagement of an operator or passengerof the vehicle 106. As another example, in some embodiments thecommunication component 120 may receive information that a nearbyvehicle such as vehicle 108 and/or 110 ahead of the vehicle 106 isreducing speed, which may allow adjustments in the autonomous operationof the vehicle 106 to be made by the on-board computer 114, mobiledevice 116, and/or back-end server 150.

In some embodiments, the one or more communication components 120 may beremovably or fixedly disposed at various locations within or external tothe vehicle 106. Additionally or alternatively, one or morecommunication component 120 may be incorporated within or connected tothe on-board computer 114. Still additionally or alternatively, in someconfigurations, one or more communication component 120 may be includedon or within the mobile device 116.

Additionally, the on-board computer 114 and/or mobile device 116disposed at the vehicle 106 may communicatively interface with one ormore internal audio components 122 (e.g., a speaker system or otheraudio device within the vehicle 106). In particular, the internal audiocomponent 122 may be configured to sound various alerts triggered by theon-board computer 114 and/or mobile device 116 for re-engaging adisengaged operator or passenger of the vehicle 106 in certainconditions. For instance, the internal audio component 122 may beconfigured to sound an alert when the on-board computer 114 and/ormobile device 116 receives an indication that a nearby vehicle 108, 110has switched from an autonomous operational mode to a manual operationalmode. As another example, the internal audio component 122 may beconfigured to sound an elevated (e.g., louder, or more frequent) alertin certain instances, such as when the on-board computer 114 and/ormobile device 116 receives an indication a nearby vehicle 108, 110 isoperating erratically and/or otherwise malfunctioning. In embodiments,the internal audio component 122 may be configured to continue to soundthe alert until the on-board computer 114 and/or mobile device 116receives an indication of dismissal from the operator or passenger ofthe vehicle 106. For instance, the sensors 118 may detect a motion orvoice command of an operator or passenger of the vehicle 106 indicatingdismissal of the alert and may send an indication to the on-boardcomputer 114 and/or mobile device 116, which may in turn cause theinternal audio component 122 to cease the alert.

In various configurations, the one or more internal audio components 122may be removably or fixedly disposed at various locations within thevehicle 106. Additionally or alternatively, the internal audio component122 may be incorporated within or connected to the on-board computer114. Still additionally or alternatively, in some configurations, theinternal audio component 122 may be included on or within the mobiledevice 116.

In embodiments, the on-board computer 114 and/or mobile device 116disposed at the vehicle 106 may communicatively interface with one ormore internal display components 124. The one or more internal displaycomponent 124 may be, for instance, one or more screens or lights withinthe vehicle 106, configured to be visible to an operator or passenger ofthe vehicle 106. In particular, the internal display component 124 maydisplay various alerts for re-engaging a disengaged operator orpassenger of the vehicle 106. For instance, the internal displaycomponent 124 may be configured to display an alert when the on-boardcomputer 114 and/or mobile device 116 receives an indication that anearby vehicle 108, 110 has switched from an autonomous operational modeto a manual operational mode. As another example, the internal displaycomponent 124 may be configured to display an elevated (e.g., brighter,flashing, more frequent, etc.) alert in certain instances, such as whenthe on-board computer 114 and/or mobile device 116 receives anindication a nearby vehicle 108, 110 is operating erratically and/orotherwise malfunctioning. In embodiments, the internal display component124 may be configured to continue to sound the alert until the on-boardcomputer 114 and/or mobile device 116 receives an indication ofdismissal from the operator or passenger of the vehicle 106. Forinstance, the sensors 118 may detect a motion or voice command of anoperator or passenger of the vehicle 106 indicating dismissal of thealert and may send an indication to the on-board computer 114 and/ormobile device 116, which may in turn cause the internal displaycomponent 124 to cease the alert. As another example, in otherembodiments, the dismissal may be indicated via a user interface of theon-board computer 114 and/or mobile device 116. In some configurations,the internal display component 124 may also function as a user interfacecomponent of the on-board computer 114 and/or mobile device 116.

In various configurations, the one or more internal display component124 may be removably or fixedly disposed at various locations within thevehicle 106. Additionally or alternatively, the internal displaycomponent 124 may be incorporated within or connected to the on-boardcomputer 114. Still additionally or alternatively, in someconfigurations, the internal display component may be included on orwithin the mobile device 116. Additionally, while some embodiments mayinclude both an internal audio component 122 and an internal displaycomponent 124 for sounding/displaying alerts, other embodiments mayinclude just one of the internal audio component 122 and/or internaldisplay component 124 for sounding/displaying alerts.

In some embodiments, the on-board computer 114 and/or mobile device 116disposed at the vehicle 106 may communicatively interface with one ormore user-input device (not shown) for receiving instructions orinformation from the vehicle operator, such as settings, selections,acknowledgements, dismissals, etc. In particular, the user-input devicemay be configured to receive indications from an operator or passengerof the vehicle 106. The user-input device (not shown) may include a“soft” keyboard (displayed on, e.g., the internal display component 124,or on a screen of the on-board computer 114 and/or mobile device 116),an external hardware keyboard communicating via a wired or a wirelessconnection (e.g., a BLUETOOTH, or other short range communicationprotocol, keyboard), an external mouse, a microphone, or any othersuitable user-input device. The user-input device (not shown) may alsoinclude a microphone capable of receiving user voice input. In variousconfigurations, the one or more user-input device may be removably orfixedly disposed at various locations within the vehicle 106.Additionally or alternatively, the user-input device may be incorporatedwithin or connected to the on-board computer 114. Still additionally oralternatively, in some configurations, the user-input device may beincluded on or within the mobile device 116.

As discussed above, the front-end components 102 of the system 100 maycommunicate with one or more back-end components 104. The back-endcomponents 104 may include one or more servers 150. As shown in FIG. 1,the server 150 may include a controller 152 that may be operativelyconnected to the one or more databases 154 via a link, which may be alocal or a remote link. The one or more databases 154 may be adapted tostore data related to, for instance, driver re-engagement features,autonomous operation features, and/or communication features of thevehicle 106. It should be noted that, while not shown, additionaldatabases may be linked to the controller 152 in a known manner. Forexample, separate databases may be used for various types ofinformation, such as autonomous operation feature information, vehicleaccidents, road conditions, vehicle operation information, and/or anyother suitable types of information. Additional databases (not shown)may be communicatively connected to the server 150 via the network 112,such as databases maintained by third parties (e.g., weather,construction, mapping, or road network databases). The controller 152may include one or more program memories 156, one or more processors 158(which may be, e.g., microcontrollers and/or microprocessors), one ormore random-access memories (RAMs) 160, and an input/output (I/O)circuit 162, all of which may be interconnected via an address/data bus.

The server 150 may further include a number of various softwareapplications 164 stored in the program memory 156. Generally speaking,the applications may perform one or more functions related to, interalia, autonomous or semi-autonomous operation of the vehicle 106,re-engagement of an operator or passenger of the vehicle 106, and/orcommunications between the vehicle 106 and external sources, such as,e.g., other vehicles 108, 110. For example, one or more of theapplications 164 may perform at least a portion of any of the methodsdescribed herein, such as, e.g., method 300.

The various software applications on the remote computing system 150 mayinclude, for example, an application for supporting autonomous and/orsemi-autonomous vehicle operations and/or one or more other applicationswhich may support vehicle operations (whether autonomous,semi-autonomous, or manual); an application for periodically orconstantly receiving and/or processing data indicative of the locationof other nearby vehicles 108, 110 to determine the proximity of othernearby vehicles 108, 110 to vehicle 106; an application for periodicallyor constantly requesting, receiving and/or processing data indicative ofthe operational mode (e.g., autonomous, semi-autonomous, or manual)and/or switches in the operational mode of other nearby vehicles 108,110; an application for periodically or constantly receiving dataindicative of the operational behavior (e.g., indicative of erraticoperation and/or malfunction) and/or changes in the operational behaviorof other nearby vehicles 108, 110; an application for triggering alertsfor an operator and/or passenger of the vehicle 106 based on indicationsthat other nearby vehicles 108, 110 are operating in a manual modeand/or switching operational mode, are operating erratically, and/or areotherwise malfunctioning; an application for displaying a user interfacefor conveying information to and/or receiving input from an operatorand/or passenger of the vehicle 106; a vehicle monitoring applicationfor receiving sensor data indicative of the operational mode and/oroperational behavior of the vehicle 106; an application for prompting anoperator or passenger to change the operational mode of the vehicle 106and/or automatically changing the operational mode of the vehicle 106 incertain conditions; an environmental monitoring application forreceiving data indicative of conditions in which the vehicle 106 isoperating, and/or a real-time communication application forcommunicating information and/or instructions to the front-endcomponents 102, to other vehicles 108, 110, and/or to other externalcomputing systems. Of course, this is not an exhaustive list of theapplications 164, and various embodiments and configurations may includeadditional and/or alternative applications 164.

The various software applications 164 may be executed on the samecomputer processor 158 or on different computer processors. Although sixapplications 164 are depicted in FIG. 1, it will be understood thatthere may be any number of software applications 164. Further, two ormore of the various applications 164 may be integrated as an integralapplication, if desired.

It should be appreciated that although the server 150 is illustrated asa single device in FIG. 1, one or more portions of the server 150 may beimplemented as one or more storage devices that are physicallyco-located with the server 150, or as one or more storage devicesutilizing different storage locations as a shared database structure(e.g. cloud storage). In some embodiments, the server 150 may beconfigured to perform any suitable portion of the processing functionsremotely that have been outsourced by one or more of on-board computer114 and/or mobile device 116. In such embodiments, the server 150 mayreceive and process the data and send an indication to on-board computer114 and/or mobile device 116, and/or take other actions.

Moreover, although only one processor 158 is shown, the controller 152may include multiple processors 158. Similarly, the memory of thecontroller 152 may include multiple program memories 156 and multipleRAMs 160. Although the I/O circuit 162 is shown as a single block, itshould be appreciated that the I/O circuit 162 may include a number ofdifferent types of I/O circuits. The program memory 156 and RAM 160 maybe implemented as semiconductor memories, magnetically readablememories, optically readable memories, or biologically readablememories, for example. Generally speaking, the program memory 156 and/orthe RAM 160 may respectively include one or more non-transitory,computer-readable storage media. The controller 152 may also beoperatively connected to the network 112 via a link.

Additionally, the other nearby vehicles 108, 110 may include back-endcomponents (not shown) similar or analogous to any of the back-endcomponents 104 of vehicle 106, and may in some configurations includeadditional or alternative back-end components. Additionally, in someembodiments, one or more of nearby vehicles 108, 110 may communicatewith the same server 150. For simplicity, however, the back-endcomponents of nearby vehicles 108, 110 are not shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of the exemplary on-boardcomputer/mobile device 114/116 associated with the vehicle 106 and incommunication (as discussed in greater detail above) with one or moreexemplary on-board computer/mobile devices 126, 128 associated with oneor more nearby vehicles 108, 110, consistent with the system 100, inwhich systems and methods for re-engaging a disengaged operator of avehicle having one or more autonomous features may be implemented. Theon-board computer 114 and/or mobile device 116 may include a GPS unit202, an accelerometer 204, one or more sensors 206, a communication unit208, an audio unit 210, a display unit 212, and/or a controller 214.

The GPS unit 202 may be disposed at the on-board computer 114 and/ormobile device 116 and may collect data indicating the location of theon-board computer 114, the mobile device 116, and/or (e.g., by proxy)the vehicle 106. This location information may be used, for instance, todetermine the proximity of the vehicle 106 to other vehicle such asvehicle 108 and/or vehicle 110. Certain alerts may be generated for anoperator and/or passenger of vehicle 106 based on the proximity (e.g.,within a certain distance threshold) of other vehicles 108, 110operating in a manual mode, operating erratically, and/ormalfunctioning. In some embodiments, such alerts may be ceased whenother vehicles 108, 110 are determined to be further away (e.g., outsideof a certain distance threshold) from vehicle 106. In additional oralternative instances, the indications of location generated by the GPSunit 202 may be used for autonomous operational features and/or mappingfeatures of the vehicle 106. Of course, additional or alternative usesof the GPS unit 202 may be envisioned. Moreover, in some embodiments theGPS unit 202 may be a separate device disposed within or external to thevehicle 106, and interfacing with the on-board computer 114 and/ormobile device 116.

The accelerometer 204 may be disposed at the on-board computer 114and/or mobile device 116 and may collect data indicating theacceleration of the on-board computer 114, the mobile device 116, and/or(e.g., by proxy) the vehicle 106. The acceleration information may beused, for instance, to determine whether the vehicle 106 is, forinstance, operating erratically and/or malfunctioning. Of course,additional and/or alternative uses of the accelerometer 204 may beenvisioned. Moreover, in some embodiments the accelerometer 204 may be aseparate device disposed within or external to the vehicle 106, andinterfacing with the on-board computer 114 and/or mobile device 116.

In general, the sensors 206 may be disposed at the on-board computer 114and/or mobile device 116 and may perform similar functions (e.g.,monitoring operator or passenger behavior, detecting operator orpassenger feedback, monitoring the environment outside of the vehicle106, etc.) as the sensors 118 discussed above. Similarly, thecommunication unit 208 may be disposed at the on-board computer 114and/or mobile device 116 and may perform similar functions (e.g.,transmitting and receiving information from external sources, etc.) asthe communication component 120 discussed above, the audio unit 208 maybe disposed at the on-board computer 114 and/or mobile device 116 andmay perform similar functions (e.g., sounding various alerts, etc.) asthe internal audio component 122 discussed above, and display unit 212may be disposed at the on-board computer 114 and/or mobile device 116and may perform similar functions (e.g., displaying various alerts,displaying a user interface, etc.) as the internal display component 124discussed above. The sensors 206, communication unit 208, audio unit210, and/or display unit 212 may supplement and/or replace one or moreof the corresponding sensors 118, communication component 120, internalaudio component 122, and/or internal display component 124.

In some embodiments, a vibrate unit (not shown) may additionally bedisposed at the on-board computer 114 and/or mobile device 116, whichvibrate unit may be configured to alert the vehicle operator using avibration or other haptic feedback. For instance, the vibrate unit maygenerate various alerts for re-engaging a disengaged operator orpassenger of the vehicle 106. As one example, an operator or passengerof the vehicle 106 holding the on-board computer 114 and/or mobiledevice 116 may feel the vibration or other haptic feedback and noticethe alert. For instance, the vibrate unit may be configured to vibratewhen the on-board computer 114 and/or mobile device 116 receives anindication that a nearby vehicle 108, 110 has switched from anautonomous operational mode to a manual operational mode. As anotherexample, the vibrate unit may be configured to generate an elevated(e.g., more frequent, greater amplitude, etc.) alert in certaininstances, such as when the on-board computer 114 and/or mobile device116 receives an indication a nearby vehicle 108, 110 is operatingerratically and/or otherwise malfunctioning. In embodiments, the vibrateunit may be configured to continue to persist in generating the alertuntil the on-board computer 114 and/or mobile device 116 receives anindication of dismissal from the operator or passenger of the vehicle106. For instance, the sensors 118 and/or sensors 206 may detect amotion or voice command of an operator or passenger of the vehicle 106indicating dismissal of the alert and may send an indication to theon-board computer 114 and/or mobile device 116, which may in turn causethe vibrate unit to cease the alert. As another example, in otherembodiments, the dismissal may be indicated via a user interface of theon-board computer 114 and/or mobile device 116.

The controller 214 may include a program memory 216, one or moreprocessors (e.g., microprocessors) 218, RAM 220, and an I/O circuit 222,all of which may be interconnected via an address/data bus. The programmemory 216 may include an operating system 224, a data storage 226,and/or a plurality various software applications 228. The operatingsystem 224, for example, may include one of a plurality of generalpurpose or mobile platforms, such as the Android™, iOS®, or Windows®systems, developed by Google Inc., Apple Inc., and MicrosoftCorporation, respectively. Alternatively, the operating system 224 maybe a custom operating system designed for autonomous vehicle operationusing the on-board computer 114 and/or mobile device 116. The datastorage 226 may include data such as user profiles and preferences,application data and/or routine data for the various applications 228,and other data related to driver re-engagement features, autonomousoperation features, and/or communication features. In some embodiments,the controller 214 may also include, or otherwise be communicativelyconnected to, other data storage mechanisms (e.g., one or more hard diskdrives, optical storage drives, solid state storage devices, etc.)residing within the vehicle 106.

In embodiments, the controller 214 may include multiple program memories216, processors 218 and/or RAMs 220. Moreover, although FIG. 2 depictsthe I/O circuit 222 as a single block, the I/O circuit 222 may include anumber of different types of I/O circuits. The controller 214 mayimplement the program memories 216 and/or the RAMs 220 as semiconductormemories, magnetically readable memories, or optically readablememories, for example. Generally speaking, the program memories 216and/or the RAMs 220 may respectively include one or more non-transitory,computer-readable storage media. The one or more processors 218 may beadapted and configured to execute any of the various softwareapplications 228 residing in the program memory 216, in addition toother software applications/routines.

Generally speaking, the applications 228 may perform one or morefunctions related to, inter alia, autonomous or semi-autonomousoperation of the vehicle 106, re-engagement of an operator or passengerof the vehicle 106, and/or communications between the vehicle 106 andexternal sources, such as, e.g., the back-end components 104 and/orother vehicles 108, 110. For example, one or more of the applications228 may perform at least a portion of any of the methods describedherein, such as, e.g., method 300.

The various software applications 228 may include, for example, anapplication for supporting autonomous and/or semi-autonomous vehicleoperations and/or one or more other applications which may supportvehicle operations (whether autonomous, semi-autonomous, or manual); anapplication for periodically or constantly receiving and/or processingdata indicative of the location of other nearby vehicles 108, 110 todetermine the proximity of other nearby vehicles 108, 110 to vehicle106; an application for periodically or constantly requesting, receivingand/or processing data indicative of the operational mode (e.g.,autonomous, semi-autonomous, or manual) and/or switches in theoperational mode of other nearby vehicles 108, 110; an application forperiodically or constantly receiving data indicative of the operationalbehavior (e.g., indicative of erratic operation and/or malfunction)and/or changes in the operational behavior of other nearby vehicles 108,110; an application for triggering alerts for an operator and/orpassenger of the vehicle 106 based on indications that other nearbyvehicles 108, 110 are operating in a manual mode and/or switchingoperational mode, are operating erratically, and/or are otherwisemalfunctioning; an application for displaying a user interface forconveying information to and/or receiving input from an operator and/orpassenger of the vehicle 106; a vehicle monitoring application forreceiving sensor data indicative of the operational mode and/oroperational behavior of the vehicle 106; an application for prompting anoperator or passenger to change the operational mode of the vehicle 106and/or automatically changing the operational mode of the vehicle 106 incertain conditions; an environmental monitoring application forreceiving data indicative of conditions in which the vehicle 106 isoperating, and/or a real-time communication application forcommunicating information and/or instructions to the back-end components104, to other vehicles 108, 110, and/or to other external computingsystems. Of course, this is not an exhaustive list of the applications228, and various embodiments and configurations may include additionaland/or alternative applications 228.

The on-board computer and/or mobile devices 126, 128 associated withnearby vehicles 108, 110 may include one or more of the featuresdescribed above as included by the on-board computer 114 and/or mobiledevice 116, and may function similarly. That is, the on-board computerand/or mobile devices 126, 128 may include, for instance, a display 230,a GPS unit 232, a communication unit 234, an accelerometer 236, one ormore other sensors 238, and/or a controller 240. Similar to thecontroller 216, the controller 240 may include a program memory 242, oneor more processors 244, RAM 246, and an I/O circuit 248, all of whichmay be interconnected via an address/data bus. The program memory 242may include an operating system 250, data storage 252, and/or aplurality of software applications 254.

Generally speaking, the functionality of these various components of theon-board computers and/or mobile devices 126, 128 may be similar to theanalogous components of on-board computer/mobile device 114/116. Ofcourse, in some embodiments, the on-board computers and/or mobiledevices 126, 128 associated with nearby vehicles 108, 110 may not beconfigured for autonomous operational modes, or otherwise may includeadditional or alternative features (not shown) compared with on-boardcomputer/mobile device 114/116.

In particular, the software applications 254 stored on the programmemory 242 of on-board computers and/or mobile devices 126, 128 may insome embodiments be different from the various applications 228 ofon-board computer/mobile device 114/116. Generally speaking, theapplications 254 may be particularly configured to perform one or morefunctions related to, inter alia, monitoring the operational mode,operational behavior, and/or location of vehicle 108, 110, and/orfacilitating communications between the vehicle 108, 110 and externalsources, such as, e.g., vehicle 106. The various software applications254 may include, for example, an application for monitoring and/ordetecting the operational mode (e.g., autonomous, semi-autonomous,manual, etc.) of the vehicle 108, 110; an application for monitoringand/or detecting the operational behavior (e.g., erratic operating,malfunction, etc.) of the vehicle 108, 110; an application for detectingthe location of the vehicle 108, 110; and/or an application forperiodically and/or constantly transmitting indications of theoperational mode, operational behavior, and/or location of the vehicle108, 110 to external sources such as vehicle 106 and/or its associatedcomponents. Of course, this is not an exhaustive list of theapplications 254, and various embodiments and configurations may includeadditional and/or alternative applications 254, including any of theapplications 228. Moreover, although eight applications are shown inFIG. 2, the mobile device and/or on-board computers 126/128 may includeany number of applications 254.

FIG. 3 depicts a flow diagram of an exemplary method 300 for re-engaginga disengaged operator of a vehicle (e.g., vehicle 106) having one ormore autonomous features. At block 302, an indication may be received ata first vehicle (e.g., at an on-board computer 114 and/or mobile device116 associated with the first vehicle) operating in an autonomous orsemi-autonomous mode, indicating that a nearby second vehicle (e.g.,vehicle 108 and/or vehicle 110) is operating in a manual mode. The firstvehicle and the second vehicle may be part of a vehicle network (e.g.,network 112) in which signals may be transmitted and received betweenvehicles, and/or may communicate via any other method as discussedabove. In particular, the indication received at the first vehicle mayindicate that the second vehicle has switched operational modes from aprior autonomous or semi-autonomous mode to the manual mode in which itis currently operating. The indication received by the first vehicle mayfurther indicate a geographic location of the second vehicle (e.g., alocation as determined by a GPS unit 232 or other location functionalityof the second vehicle). In particular, the first vehicle may include anon-board GPS functionality (e.g., GPS unit 202) or other means ofdetermining its own geographic location, and a distance between thefirst and second vehicle may be determined in order to classify thesecond vehicle as “nearby” or “not nearby.” For instance, if thedistance between the first and second vehicle is lower than a certainthreshold distance which may be preset or set by a user, the secondvehicle may be classified as “nearby” the first vehicle. In someembodiments, the indication received by the first vehicle may furtherindicate, for example, that the second vehicle is operating erraticallyin the manual mode, or that the second vehicle is malfunctioning, orthat the second vehicle has some other operational issue.

At block 304, an alert may be triggered to an operator or passenger ofthe first vehicle, indicating that the nearby second vehicle hasswitched operational modes from an autonomous or semi-autonomousoperational mode to a manual operational mode. In embodiments, the alertmay only be triggered when the second vehicle is sufficiently “nearby,”e.g., when the location of the second vehicle is within a certainthreshold distance (e.g., within one block, within one mile, etc.) ofthe location of the first vehicle. The alert may be configured to wake(e.g., by beeping via the internal audio component 122 and/or audio unit210, or flashing via the internal display component 124 and/or displayunit 212) an operator or passenger of the first vehicle who has fallenasleep, or who is otherwise disengaged from the operation of the firstvehicle while it is operating in the autonomous or semi-autonomous mode.For instance, while the first vehicle is operating in the autonomous orsemi-autonomous mode, the operator or passenger of the first vehicle maybe reading, looking at a mobile device, talking on a phone, talking toanother passenger, or in some other way distracted or inattentive to theoperation of the vehicle. When in such a disengaged state, the operatoror passenger of the first vehicle may be, for example, inattentive tonearby manually operating vehicles, traffic conditions, road conditions,weather conditions, pedestrians, or any other considerations that may berelevant should the operator or passenger need to operate the firstvehicle in a manual mode. In embodiments, the alert may be elevated ininstances when the second vehicle is operating erratically in the manualmode or when the second vehicle is malfunctioning in some way. Theelevated alert may be more prominent in some way than the original alert(e.g., louder, brighter, more frequent, or any other suitable way ofindicating an elevated alert).

The operator or passenger may be presented with an option to dismiss thealert. The option to dismiss the alert may be, for instance, anotification displayed to the operator or passenger via a user interfaceof an electronic device, including an option for selection of dismissal.In other embodiments, the operator or passenger may dismiss the alertvia a voice command, a gesture, pressing a button within the vehicle, orsome other suitable indication that the operator or passenger is awareof the alert, which may be, for instance, detected by sensors 118 and/or206. For instance, the dismissal of the alert by the operator orpassenger may indicate that the operator or passenger is awake and awarethat there is a nearby vehicle operating in a manual mode (or operatingerratically, or malfunctioning, etc.) If the alert is dismissed by anoperator or passenger of the first vehicle (block 306, YES), the alertmay be ceased (block 312). If the alert is not dismissed by the operatoror passenger of the first vehicle (block 306, NO), the alert maypersist, and the method may proceed to other functionalities. In someembodiments, the alert may become more prominent (e.g., louder,brighter, more frequent, etc.) as time passes without an indication of aresponse by the operator or passenger. For instance, after one minutewith no response, the volume of an audible alert may increase, or avisual alert may begin to flash.

The operator or passenger may be presented with an option and/orrecommendation to switch the first vehicle from an autonomous orsemi-autonomous mode to a manual mode. For example, the option mayappear as a notification of a mobile device and/or on-board computeruser interface with means for the operator or passenger to enter aresponse. In some examples, the operator or passenger may choose tooperate in the manual mode in instances when other nearby vehicles(e.g., the second vehicle) are operating in manual mode, in order to beable to appropriately respond to less predictable manual drivers intraffic. In other examples, the operator or passenger way choose tooperate in the manual mode in instances where other nearby vehicles(e.g., the second vehicle) are operating in manual mode in order toappropriately respond to whatever other reason triggered the othervehicles to operate in manual mode, e.g., unusual weather conditions,unusual traffic conditions, unusually large numbers of pedestrians, orany other situations in which manual operation may be more appropriatethan autonomous or semi-autonomous operation. In still other examples,of course, the operator or passenger may choose to continue operatingthe vehicle in an autonomous and/or semi-autonomous mode despite theoption and/or recommendation to switch (e.g., indicate dismissal asdiscussed above.) If the switch to manual mode is selected by theoperator or passenger (block 308, YES), the vehicle may be switched fromthe autonomous or semi-autonomous mode to the manual mode in response tothe selection (block 310), and in embodiments the alert may be ceased inresponse to the selection (block 312). Otherwise, if the switch tomanual mode is not selected by the operator or passenger (block 308,NO), the vehicle may remain in the autonomous mode and the method 300may end.

In some embodiments, an indication may be received by the first vehicleindicating that the second vehicle that was operating in a manual modehas switched back to an autonomous or semi-autonomous mode. In responseto this indication, the alert may be ceased. Similarly, an indicationmay be received by the first vehicle indicating that the second vehicleis no longer operating erratically, or is no longer malfunctioning, andin response to this indication, the alert may no longer be elevated, ormay cease. In some embodiments, the alert may cease if an indication isreceived by the first vehicle indicating that the second vehicleoperating in the manual mode is no longer nearby. For instance, in someembodiments, the alert may cease if the second vehicle is no longerwithin a threshold distance proximity of the first vehicle, even if thesecond vehicle continues to operate in the manual mode (or operateerratically, or malfunction, etc.) The threshold distance may be pre-setor may be set by an operator or passenger. In such embodiments, theoperator and/or passenger may independently select, and/or may bepresented with a recommendation and/or option to select, to switch thevehicle back to an autonomous and/or semi-autonomous mode (e.g., becauseoperating conditions may have become more safe and/or more predictable).

FIG. 4 illustrates a signal diagram 400 associated with exemplarytechnology for re-engaging a disengaged operator of a vehicle having oneor more autonomous features. The signal diagram 400 includes a firstelectronic device 402 (such as, e.g., on-board computer 114 and/ormobile device 116), associated with a first vehicle (e.g., vehicle 106)operating in an autonomous or semi-autonomous mode, and a secondelectronic device 404 (e.g., on-board computers and/or mobile devices126 and/or 128), associated with a second vehicle (e.g., vehicles 108and/or 110). The first electronic device 402 may be configured tocommunicate with the second electronic device 404. It should beappreciated that additional or alternative components and/or devices areenvisioned.

The signal diagram 400 may begin when the second electronic device 404receives (406) an indication that the second vehicle has switched to amanual operational mode. Additionally or alternatively, the indicationmay indicate that the second vehicle only has a manual operational mode.That is, the second vehicle may not have autonomous features, andtherefore may not be capable of “switching” to the manual operationalmode, but may rather be in the manual operational mode by default. Inembodiments, the indication may further include an indication that thesecond vehicle is operating erratically, or that the second vehicle ismalfunctioning. In embodiments, the second electronic device 404 mayperiodically or constantly receive updated indications of theoperational mode of the second vehicle (and/or updated indications ofwhether the second vehicle is operating erratically or malfunctioning).

The second electronic device 404 may send (408) the indication that thesecond vehicle is in a manual operational mode to the first electronicdevice 402. The indication may be sent directly or indirectly, asdiscussed in greater detail above. In embodiments, the indication mayadditionally or alternatively include the indication that the secondvehicle is operating erratically, or that the second vehicle ismalfunctioning. The second electronic device 404 may automatically sendthe indication to the first electronic device 402 in real-time or nearreal-time as the indication is received, and/or the second electronicdevice 404 may send the indication in response to a request from thefirst electronic device 402. In embodiments, the second electronicdevice 404 may periodically send updated indications of the operationalmode of the second vehicle (and/or indications of whether the secondvehicle is operating erratically or malfunctioning) to the firstelectronic device 402. The indication may be sent directly orindirectly, via a network or via any short-range communicationfunctionality, as discussed in detail above with respect to FIG. 1.

Additionally, the second electronic device 404 may determine (410) ageographic location of the second vehicle. The location of the secondelectronic device 404 may be used as a proxy for the location of thesecond vehicle. The location may be determined using a GPS unit (e.g.,GPS unit 232), or any other suitable means of determining location.Additionally or alternatively, the location of the second vehicle may bedetermined by another device or functionality, and may be sent to thesecond electronic device 404 automatically or in response to a requestby the second device 404. In embodiments, the second electronic device404 may periodically determine an updated location of the secondvehicle.

The second electronic device 404 may send (412) an indication of thelocation of the second vehicle to the first electronic device 402. Aswith the indication of the manual operational mode of the secondvehicle, the second electronic device 404 may automatically send theindication of the location of the second vehicle to the first electronicdevice 402 in real-time or near real-time as the indication is received,and/or the second electronic device 404 may send the indication inresponse to a request from the first electronic device 402. Theindication may be sent directly or indirectly, via a network or via anyshort-range communication functionality, as discussed in detail abovewith respect to FIG. 1. In embodiments, the second electronic device 404may periodically send updated indications of the location of the secondvehicle to the first electronic device 402.

The first electronic device 402 may determine (414) a location of thefirst vehicle. The location of the first electronic device 402 may beused as a proxy for the location of the first vehicle. The location maybe determined using a GPS module (e.g., GPS unit 202), or any othersuitable means of determining location. Additionally or alternatively,the location of the first vehicle may be determined by another device orfunctionality, and may be sent to the first electronic device 402automatically or in response to a request by the first electronic device402. The first electronic device 402 may periodically determine anupdated location of the first vehicle (e.g., as the first vehiclemoves).

The first electronic device 402 may query (416) whether the distancebetween the first vehicle and the second vehicle is less than a certainthreshold distance (e.g., one block, one mile). The threshold distancemay be pre-set or may be set by a vehicle operator, vehiclemanufacturer, etc. If the distance is not less than the certainthreshold distance (416, NO), then the second vehicle may be classifiedas “not nearby” the first vehicle. In embodiments, the respectivelocations of both vehicles may be periodically determined, the firstelectronic device 402 may repeatedly query (416) whether the distancebetween the first vehicle and the second vehicle is less than thecertain threshold distance. If the distance between the first vehicleand the second vehicle is less than the threshold distance (416, YES),then the second vehicle may be classified as “nearby” the first vehicle.

The first electronic device 402 may trigger (418) an alert indicatingthat a nearby second vehicle has switched to a manual operational mode.In particular the alert may be configured to re-engage a disengagedoperator or passenger of the first vehicle. For instance, the alert maybe configured to wake an operator or passenger of the first vehicle whohas fallen asleep, or to cause a distracted operator or passenger torefocus on traffic or road conditions. The alert may be a light, sound,vibration, user interface display, or any other suitable means ofalerting an operator or passenger of the first vehicle.

The first electronic device 402 may query (420) whether there has beenan indication of an operator dismissal of the alert (i.e., indicating are-engagement of the operator), such as, for instance, a voice command,a gesture, a pressed button, or a command input to a user interface. Ifthe first electronic device 402 receives an indication of dismissal bythe operator or passenger of the first vehicle (420, YES), the firstelectronic device 402 may cease (426) the alert. If the first electronicdevice 402 receives no indication of dismissal by the operator orpassenger of the first vehicle (420, NO), the electronic device 402 maycontinue the alert (e.g., the alert may persist). In some embodiments,the first electronic device 402 may periodically elevate the alert(e.g., make the alert louder, brighter, more frequent, etc.) as timepasses without receiving an indication of dismissal by a passenger oroperator of the first vehicle. In additional or alternative embodiments,the first electronic device 402 may elevate the alert upon receivingfrom the second electronic device 404 an indication that the secondvehicle is operating erratically, or malfunctioning.

The first electronic device 402 may receive (422) an indication that anoperator or passenger of the first vehicle has selected to switch thefirst vehicle to a manual operational mode. In some embodiments, theindication may be a response to a first electronic device 402 query asto whether the first vehicle should be switched to a manual operationalmode (e.g., a notification of a user interface). In response to theindication that the operator or passenger of the first vehicle hasselected to switch the first vehicle to the manual operational mode, thefirst electronic device 402 may switch (424) the first vehicle to themanual mode. Additionally or alternatively, the first electronic device402 may communicate with an on-board computer and may switch the firstvehicle to the manual mode by, for instance, sending an indication tothe on-board computer indicating that the operational mode of the firstvehicle should be switched.

The first electronic 402 device may cease (426) the alert. As discussedabove, the first electronic device 402 may cease the alert in responseto the indication of dismissal by the operator or passenger of the firstvehicle (420, YES). The first electronic device 402 may additionally oralternatively cease (426) the alert in response to an indication thatthe operator or passenger of the first vehicle has selected to switchthe first vehicle to the manual operational mode. In some embodiments,the first electronic device 402 may cease (426) the alert in response toa determination that the distance between the first vehicle and secondvehicle is no longer less than the threshold distance (i.e., adetermination that the second vehicle is no longer “nearby”). Forinstance, the second electronic device 404 may periodically orconstantly send (412) updated indications of the location of the secondvehicle, and the first electronic device 402 may periodically orconstantly determine (414) an updated location of the first vehicle, andmay query (416) whether the distance between the first vehicle and thesecond vehicle is still less than the threshold distance. In additionalor alternative embodiments, the first electronic device 402 may cease(426) the alert in response to an indication that the second vehicle isno longer in the manual operational mode. For instance, the secondelectronic device 404 may periodically send (408) updated indications ofthe operational mode of the second vehicle to the first electronicdevice 402, and if the operational mode of the second vehicle isautonomous or semi-autonomous, the first electronic device 402 may cease(426) the alert.

Although the following text sets forth a detailed description ofnumerous different embodiments, it should be understood that the legalscope of the invention may be defined by the words of the claims setforth at the end of this patent. The detailed description is to beconstrued as exemplary only and does not describe every possibleembodiment, as describing every possible embodiment would beimpractical, if not impossible. One could implement numerous alternateembodiments, using either current technology or technology developedafter the filing date of this patent, which would still fall within thescope of the claims.

Throughout this specification, plural instances may implementcomponents, operations, or structures described as a single instance.Although individual operations of one or more methods are illustratedand described as separate operations, one or more of the individualoperations may be performed concurrently, and nothing requires that theoperations be performed in the order illustrated. Structures andfunctionality presented as separate components in example configurationsmay be implemented as a combined structure or component. Similarly,structures and functionality presented as a single component may beimplemented as separate components. These and other variations,modifications, additions, and improvements fall within the scope of thesubject matter herein.

Additionally, certain embodiments are described herein as includinglogic or a number of routines, subroutines, applications, orinstructions. These may constitute either software (e.g., code embodiedon a non-transitory, machine-readable medium) or hardware. In hardware,the routines, etc., are tangible units capable of performing certainoperations and may be configured or arranged in a certain manner. Inexample embodiments, one or more computer systems (e.g., a standalone,client or server computer system) or one or more hardware modules of acomputer system (e.g., a processor or a group of processors) may beconfigured by software (e.g., an application or application portion) asa hardware module that operates to perform certain operations asdescribed herein.

In various embodiments, a hardware module may be implementedmechanically or electronically. For example, a hardware module maycomprise dedicated circuitry or logic that may be permanently configured(e.g., as a special-purpose processor, such as a field programmable gatearray (FPGA) or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)) toperform certain operations. A hardware module may also compriseprogrammable logic or circuitry (e.g., as encompassed within ageneral-purpose processor or other programmable processor) that may betemporarily configured by software to perform certain operations. Itwill be appreciated that the decision to implement a hardware modulemechanically, in dedicated and permanently configured circuitry, or intemporarily configured circuitry (e.g., configured by software) may bedriven by cost and time considerations.

Accordingly, the term “hardware module” should be understood toencompass a tangible entity, be that an entity that is physicallyconstructed, permanently configured (e.g., hardwired), or temporarilyconfigured (e.g., programmed) to operate in a certain manner or toperform certain operations described herein. Considering embodiments inwhich hardware modules are temporarily configured (e.g., programmed),each of the hardware modules need not be configured or instantiated atany one instance in time. For example, where the hardware modulescomprise a general-purpose processor configured using software, thegeneral-purpose processor may be configured as respective differenthardware modules at different times. Software may accordingly configurea processor, for example, to constitute a particular hardware module atone instance of time and to constitute a different hardware module at adifferent instance of time.

Hardware modules may provide information to, and receive informationfrom, other hardware modules. Accordingly, the described hardwaremodules may be regarded as being communicatively coupled. Where multipleof such hardware modules exist contemporaneously, communications may beachieved through signal transmission (e.g., over appropriate circuitsand buses) that connect the hardware modules. In embodiments in whichmultiple hardware modules are configured or instantiated at differenttimes, communications between such hardware modules may be achieved, forexample, through the storage and retrieval of information in memorystructures to which the multiple hardware modules have access. Forexample, one hardware module may perform an operation and store theoutput of that operation in a memory device to which it may becommunicatively coupled. A further hardware module may then, at a latertime, access the memory device to retrieve and process the storedoutput. Hardware modules may also initiate communications with input oroutput devices, and may operate on a resource (e.g., a collection ofinformation).

The various operations of example methods described herein may beperformed, at least partially, by one or more processors that aretemporarily configured (e.g., by software) or permanently configured toperform the relevant operations. Whether temporarily or permanentlyconfigured, such processors may constitute processor-implemented modulesthat operate to perform one or more operations or functions. The modulesreferred to herein may, in some example embodiments, compriseprocessor-implemented modules.

Similarly, the methods or routines described herein may be at leastpartially processor-implemented. For example, at least some of theoperations of a method may be performed by one or more processors orprocessor-implemented hardware modules. The performance of certain ofthe operations may be distributed among the one or more processors, notonly residing within a single machine, but deployed across a number ofmachines. In some example embodiments, the processor or processors maybe located in a single location (e.g., within a home environment, anoffice environment, or as a server farm), while in other embodiments theprocessors may be distributed across a number of locations.

The performance of certain of the operations may be distributed amongthe one or more processors, not only residing within a single machine,but deployed across a number of machines. In some example embodiments,the one or more processors or processor-implemented modules may belocated in a single geographic location (e.g., within a homeenvironment, an office environment, or a server farm). In other exampleembodiments, the one or more processors or processor-implemented modulesmay be distributed across a number of geographic locations.

Unless specifically stated otherwise, discussions herein using wordssuch as “processing,” “computing,” “calculating,” “determining,”“presenting,” “displaying,” or the like may refer to actions orprocesses of a machine (e.g., a computer) that manipulates or transformsdata represented as physical (e.g., electronic, magnetic, or optical)quantities within one or more memories (e.g., volatile memory,non-volatile memory, or a combination thereof), registers, or othermachine components that receive, store, transmit, or displayinformation.

As used herein any reference to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment”means that a particular element, feature, structure, or characteristicdescribed in connection with the embodiment may be included in at leastone embodiment. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” invarious places in the specification are not necessarily all referring tothe same embodiment.

As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “may include,”“including,” “has,” “having” or any other variation thereof, areintended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process,method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is notnecessarily limited to only those elements but may include otherelements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method,article, or apparatus. Further, unless expressly stated to the contrary,“or” refers to an inclusive or and not to an exclusive or. For example,a condition A or B is satisfied by any one of the following: A is true(or present) and B is false (or not present), A is false (or notpresent) and B is true (or present), and both A and B are true (orpresent).

In addition, use of the “a” or “an” are employed to describe elementsand components of the embodiments herein. This is done merely forconvenience and to give a general sense of the description. Thisdescription, and the claims that follow, should be read to include oneor at least one and the singular also may include the plural unless itis obvious that it is meant otherwise.

This detailed description is to be construed as examples and does notdescribe every possible embodiment, as describing every possibleembodiment would be impractical, if not impossible. One could implementnumerous alternate embodiments, using either current technology ortechnology developed after the filing date of this application.

What is claimed:
 1. A method, comprising: triggering, by a processor, analert provided via a user interface associated with a first vehicleoperating in an autonomous mode, only when a second vehicle near thefirst vehicle is operating in a manual mode, the alert including asafety recommendation recommending that a user select an option,included in the alert, to switch the first vehicle from the autonomousmode to a manual mode; receiving, by the processor, an indication of aselection, by the user, via the user interface, of the option includedin the alert to switch the first vehicle from the autonomous mode to themanual mode; and switching, by the processor, the first vehicle fromoperating in the autonomous mode to operating in the manual mode inresponse to the selection.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein theindication received by the first vehicle further indicates that thesecond vehicle has switched operational modes from a prior autonomous orsemi-autonomous mode to a current manual mode.
 3. The method of claim 1,wherein the indication that the nearby second vehicle is operating inthe manual mode further indicates that the second vehicle is drivingerratically, and further comprising: triggering, by the processor, anelevated alert to the user indicating that the second vehicle is drivingerratically.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication that thenearby second vehicle is operating in the manual mode further indicatesthat the second vehicle is malfunctioning, and further comprising:triggering, by the processor, an elevated alert to the user indicatingthat the second vehicle is malfunctioning.
 5. The method of claim 1,wherein the alert is configured to wake the user who is asleep.
 6. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising: ceasing, by the processor, thealert in response to a dismissal of the alert by the user.
 7. The methodof claim 1, further comprising: ceasing, by the processor, the alert inresponse to the selection by the user to switch operational modes. 8.The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving, by the processorwithin the first vehicle, an indication that the second vehicle hasswitched from operating in the manual mode to operating in an autonomousor semi-autonomous mode; and ceasing, by the processor, the alert inresponse to the indication that the second vehicle has switched fromoperating in the manual mode to operating in the autonomous orsemi-autonomous mode.
 9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:receiving, by the processor within the first vehicle, an indication thatthe second vehicle is no longer nearby; and ceasing, by the processor,the alert in response to the indication that the second vehicle is nolonger nearby.
 10. An electronic device, comprising: a memory configuredto store non-transitory computer executable instructions; and aprocessor configured to interface with the memory, and configured toexecute the non-transitory computer executable instructions to cause theprocessor to: trigger an alert provided via a user interface associatedwith a first vehicle operating in an autonomous mode, only when a secondvehicle near the first vehicle is operating in a manual mode, the alertincluding safety recommendation recommending that a user select anoption, included in the alert, to switch the first vehicle from theautonomous mode to a manual mode; receive an indication of a selection,by the user, via the user interface, of the option included in the alertto switch the first vehicle from the autonomous mode to the manual mode;and switch the first vehicle from operating in the autonomous mode tooperating in the manual mode in response to the selection.
 11. Theelectronic device of claim 10, wherein the indication received by thefirst vehicle further indicates that the second vehicle has switchedoperational modes from a prior autonomous or semi-autonomous mode to acurrent manual mode.
 12. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein theindication that the nearby second vehicle is in the manual mode furtherindicates that the second vehicle is driving erratically, and whereinthe computer executable instructions further cause the processor to:trigger an elevated alert to the user indicating that the second vehicleis driving erratically.
 13. The electronic device of claim 10, whereinthe indication that the nearby second vehicle is in the manual modefurther indicates that the second vehicle is malfunctioning, and whereinthe computer executable instructions further cause the processor to:trigger an elevated alert to the user indicating that the second vehicleis malfunctioning.
 14. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein thealert is configured to wake the user who is asleep.
 15. The electronicdevice of claim 10, wherein the computer executable instructions furthercause the processor to: cease the alert in response to a dismissal ofthe alert by the user.
 16. The electronic device of claim 10, whereinthe computer executable instructions further cause the processor to:cease the alert in response to the selection by user to switchoperational modes.
 17. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein thecomputer executable instructions further cause the processor to:receive, at the first vehicle, an indication that the second vehicle hasswitched from operating in the manual mode to operating in an autonomousor semi-autonomous mode; and cease the alert in response to theindication that the second vehicle has switched from operating in themanual mode to operating in the autonomous or semi-autonomous mode. 18.The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the computer executableinstructions further cause the processor to: receive, at the firstvehicle, an indication that the second vehicle is no longer nearby; andcease the alert in response to the indication that the second vehicle isno longer nearby.
 19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage mediumhaving stored thereon a set of instructions, executable by a processor,the instructions comprising: triggering an alert provided via a userinterface associated with a first vehicle operating in an autonomousmode, only when a second vehicle near the first vehicle is operating ina manual mode, the alert including a safety recommendation recommendingthat a user select an option, included in the alert, to switch the firstvehicle from the autonomous mode to a manual mode; receiving anindication of a selection, by the user, via the user interface, of theoption included in the alert to switch the first vehicle from theautonomous mode to the manual mode; and switching the first vehicle fromoperating in the autonomous mode to operating in the manual mode inresponse to the selection.
 20. The non-transitory computer-readablestorage medium of claim 19, the instructions further comprising one ormore of: ceasing the alert in response to a dismissal of the alert bythe user, or ceasing the alert in response to the selection by the userto switch operational modes.